Transmission and Interconnection

Transmission and interconnection strategies have significant impacts on offshore wind cost, feasibility, scalability, sizing, and exposure to risk. In the Offshore Wind Policy Options Paper[PDF], NYSERDA explored two of these strategies—direct radial and backbone. Direct radial transmission facilities are developed, sized, and constructed to support one offshore wind facility. Backbone transmission facilities are expandable. They can accommodate an initial facility and facilities built later on.

NYSERDA recommended a direct radial transmission approach dedicated to specific projects and owned by the developer for the first phase of offshore wind energy development in New York State. The New York State Public Service Commission supported this recommendation when adopting the Offshore Wind Standard[PDF] program and determined that developer owned transmission was the most feasible option for jump-starting the first phase of offshore wind procurements in New York State.

To explore transmission systems for future phases of offshore wind energy development, NYSERDA and the Department of Public Service convened a technical conference on September 25, 2018. The technical conference covered topics including the optimal configurations for cost-effective transmission of large-scale offshore wind development and the various options for ownership and planning processes.

Following this work, Governor Cuomo announced in his 2019 State of the State that New York would evaluate and facilitate the development of an offshore transmission grid that can benefit New York ratepayers by driving down offshore wind generation and integration costs.

Offshore Wind

NYSERDA is leading the coordination of offshore wind opportunities in New York State and is supporting the development of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035 in a responsible and cost-effective manner. Offshore wind will be a crucial step on the pathway to a carbon-neutral economy as Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed in his Green New Deal, a nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda. Offshore wind will support the Governor’s call for 70 percent of New York’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030.